Julio Gutierrez next author in 2016-2017 MLHS senior student editorial series
Let Us Decide How Much We Should Eat
As teenagers, we should be able to decide whether we want to have a larger amount of food, or less, because our bodies are either still developing and need more nutrients, or we may be overweight. I believe the school should be able to have larger portions of lunch for athletes.
Why I want to be able to have this choice is because athletes are feeling the need to have more food so we have the right amount of energy to perform better throughout the day and also through after-school practices and games. I also understand that there are some children who may be getting overfed.
In my opinion, parents should be able to tell the school to minimize or increase the amount of food their kids are being served. One solution would be to have the parents pay more for the sports fee so their athlete(s) can have a larger lunch. Another possible solution might be that the cooks could go around with a cart of leftover food from the day before, instead of just throwing it away. As eating healthy helps in athletics, it also helps in schooling.
According to www.kidzworlz.com, “We need to have a very health and large breakfast in order to help us focus better, instead of having a small and unhealthy breakfast.” Students sometime have one slice of sausage pizza or just a very oily piece of processed banana bread. Don’t get me wrong, I love those things; however they never get me through the morning. Honestly, I am still left hungry after I eat the banana bread.
Our lunch is also based on a low amount of calories. Athletes like me burn a lot of energy during each day of the sports season.
As an athlete, I feel that I should have the final say in how much I eat. I also understand that our country struggles with childhood obesity, which is why I think it should be left up to parents to decide portion size.
I may be graduating this year, but I know I am not the only one who wants to have more food to eat at school. I am also looking out for the underclassmen so that they can have the right amount of food they need.
In conclusion, I feel f0r all athletes who are still hungry after eating lunch. High school athletes should get more food at lunch for better performance in both school classes and sports.